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Modern Systems Analysis and Design Fifth Edition Jeffrey A. Hoffer Joey F. George Joseph S. Valacich. Chapter 7 Structuring System Process Requirements. Learning Objectives. Understand the logical modeling of processes by studying examples of data flow diagrams (DFDs).
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Modern Systems Analysisand DesignFifth EditionJeffrey A. Hoffer Joey F. GeorgeJoseph S. Valacich Chapter 7 Structuring System Process Requirements
Learning Objectives • Understand the logical modeling of processes by studying examples of data flow diagrams (DFDs). • Draw data flow diagrams following specific rules and guidelines that lead to accurate and well-structured process models. • Decompose data flow diagrams into lower-level diagrams. • Balance higher-level and lower-level data flow diagrams. © 2008 by Prentice Hall 2
Learning Objectives (Cont.) • Explain the differences among four types of DFDs: current physical, current logical, new physical, and new logical. • Use data flow diagrams as a tool to support the analysis of information systems. • Discuss process modeling for electronic commerce applications. © 2008 by Prentice Hall 3
Process Modeling © 2008 by Prentice Hall 4
Process Modeling (Cont.) • Graphically represent the processes that capture, manipulate, store, and distribute data between a system and its environment and among system components. A common form of a process model is a Data Flow Diagram: Apicture of the movement of data between external entities and the processes and data stores within a system © 2008 by Prentice Hall 5
Process Modeling (Cont.) • Utilize information gathered during requirements determination. • Processes and data structures are modeled. © 2008 by Prentice Hall 6
Deliverables and Outcomes • Context data flow diagram (DFD) • Scope of system. • DFDs of current physical system • Adequate detail only. • DFDs of current logical system • Enables analysts to understand current system. © 2008 by Prentice Hall 7
Deliverables and Outcomes (Cont.) • DFDs of new logical system • Technology independent. • Show data flows, structure, and functional requirements of new system. • Thorough description of each DFD component © 2008 by Prentice Hall 8
Data Flow Diagramming Mechanics • Represent both physical and logical information systems. • Only four symbols are used. © 2008 by Prentice Hall 9
Definitions and Symbols © 2008 by Prentice Hall 10
Data Flow Diagramming Mechanics (Cont.) • Useful for depicting purely logical information flows. • DFDs that detail physical systems differ from system flowcharts which depict details of physical computing equipment. © 2008 by Prentice Hall 11
Definitions and Symbols (Cont.) • Process: is the work or actions performed on data so that they are transformed, stored or distributed (inside the system), ie, generate paycheck, calculate overtime, compute GPA • Data store: is data at rest (inside the system), ie, a file folder about customers or students or orders, etc. © 2008 by Prentice Hall 12
Definitions and Symbols (Cont.) • Source/sink: external entity that is origin or destination of data (outside the system), ie, customer, bank, inventory control system • Data flow: arrows depicting movement of data, ie, customer order, sales receipt © 2008 by Prentice Hall 13
Developing DFDs • Context diagram is an overview (highest level) of an organizational system that shows: • the system boundaries; • external entities that interact with the system; • Major information flows between the entities and the system. • Note: only one process symbol, and no data stores (inside the process) shown. © 2008 by Prentice Hall 15
Context Diagram © 2008 by Prentice Hall 16
Developing DFDs (Cont.) • Level-0 diagram is a data flow diagram that represents a system’s major processes, data flows, and data stores at a high level of detail. • Processes are labeled 1.0, 2.0, etc. These will be decomposed into more primitive (lower-level) DFDs. © 2008 by Prentice Hall 17
Level-0 Diagram © 2008 by Prentice Hall 18
Data Flow Diagramming Rules • There are two DFD guidelines that apply: • The inputs to a process are different from the outputs of that process. • Processes purpose is to transform inputs into outputs. • Objects on a DFD have unique names. • Every process has a unique name. © 2008 by Prentice Hall 19
Table 7.2Data Flow Diagramming Rules (Cont.) © 2008 by Prentice Hall 20
Decomposition of DFDs • Functional decomposition is an iterative process of breaking a system description down into finer and finer detail. • Creates a set of charts in which one process on a given chart is explained in greater detail on another chart. • Continues until no subprocess can logically be broken down any further. © 2008 by Prentice Hall 21
Decomposition of DFDs (Cont.) • Primitive DFD is the lowest level of a DFD. • Level-1 diagram results from decomposition of Level-0 diagram. • Level-n diagram is a DFD diagram that is the result of a n nested decompositions from a process on a level-0 diagram. © 2008 by Prentice Hall 22
Level-1 DFD Level-1 DFD shows the sub-processes of one of the processes in the Level-0 DFD. This is a Level-1 DFD for Process 4.0. Processes are labeled 4.1, 4.2, etc. These can be further decomposed in more primitive (lower-level) DFDs if necessary. © 2008 by Prentice Hall 24
Level-n DFD Level-n DFD shows the sub-processes of one of the processes in the Level n-1 DFD. This is a Level-2 DFD for Process 4.3. Processes are labeled 4.3.1, 4.3.2, etc. If this is the lowest level of the hierarchy, it is called a primitive DFD. © 2008 by Prentice Hall 25
Balancing DFDs • Conservation Principle: conserve inputs and outputs to a process at the next level of decomposition. • Balancing: conservation of inputs and outputs to a data flow diagram process when that process is decomposed to a lower level. © 2008 by Prentice Hall 26
Balancing DFDs (Cont.) • Balanced means: • Number of inputs to lower level DFD equals number of inputs to associated process of higher-level DFD • Number of outputs to lower level DFD equals number of outputs to associated process of higher-level DFD © 2008 by Prentice Hall 27
Balancing DFDs (Cont.) This is unbalanced because the process of the context diagram has only one input but the Level-0 diagram has two inputs. 1 input 1 output 2 inputs 1 output © 2008 by Prentice Hall 28
Balancing DFDs (Cont.) • Data flow splitting is when a composite data flow at a higher level is split and different parts go to different processes in the lower level DFD. • The DFD remains balanced because the same data is involved, but split into two parts. © 2008 by Prentice Hall 29
Balancing DFDs (Cont.) © 2008 by Prentice Hall 30
Balancing DFDs: More DFD Rules © 2008 by Prentice Hall 31
Four Different Types of DFDs • Current Physical • Process labels identify technology (people or systems) used to process the data. • Data flows and data stores identify actual name of the physical media. • Current Logical • Physical aspects of system are removed as much as possible. • Current system is reduced to data and processes that transform them. © 2008 by Prentice Hall 32
Four Different Types of DFDs (Cont.) • New Logical • Includes additional functions. • Obsolete functions are removed. • Inefficient data flows are reorganized. • New Physical • Represents the physical implementation of the new system. © 2008 by Prentice Hall 33
Guidelines for Drawing DFDs (Cont.) • Completeness • DFD must include all components necessary for system. • Each component must be fully described in the project dictionary or CASE repository. • Consistency • The extent to which information contained on one level of a set of nested DFDs is also included on other levels. © 2008 by Prentice Hall 36
Guidelines for Drawing DFDs (Cont.) • Timing • Time is not represented well on DFDs. • Best to draw DFDs as if the system has never started and will never stop. • Iterative Development • Analyst should expect to redraw diagram several times before reaching the closest approximation to the system being modeled. © 2008 by Prentice Hall 37
Guidelines for Drawing DFDs (Cont.) • Primitive DFDs • Lowest logical level of decomposition. • Decision has to be made when to stop decomposition. © 2008 by Prentice Hall 38
Guidelines for Drawing DFDs (Cont.) • Rules for stopping decomposition • When each process has been reduced to a single decision, calculation or database operation. • When each data store represents data about a single entity. © 2008 by Prentice Hall 39
Guidelines for Drawing DFDs (Cont.) • When the system user does not care to see any more detail. • When every data flow does not need to be split further to show that data are handled in various ways. © 2008 by Prentice Hall 40
Guidelines for Drawing DFDs (Cont.) • When you believe that you have shown each business form or transaction, online display and report as a single data flow. • When you believe that there is a separate process for each choice on all lowest-level menu options. © 2008 by Prentice Hall 41
Using DFDs as Analysis Tools • Gap Analysis is the process of discovering discrepancies between two or more sets of data flow diagrams or discrepancies within a single DFD. • Inefficiencies in a system can often be identified through DFDs. © 2008 by Prentice Hall 42
Using DFDs in BPR Figure 7-17 IBM Credit Corporation’s primary work process before BPR © 2008 by Prentice Hall 43
Using DFDs in BPR (Cont.) Figure 7-18 IBM Credit Corporation’s primary work process after BPR © 2008 by Prentice Hall 44
Electronic Commerce Application: Process Modeling using Data Flow Diagrams • Process modeling for Pine Valley Furniture’s Webstore • Completed JAD session. • Began translating the Webstore system structure into data flow diagrams. • Identified six high-level processes. © 2008 by Prentice Hall 45
Electronic Commerce Application: Process Modeling using Data Flow Diagrams (Cont.) © 2008 by Prentice Hall 46
Electronic Commerce Application: Process Modeling using Data Flow Diagrams Figure 7-19 Level-0 data flow diagram for the WebStore © 2008 by Prentice Hall 47
Summary • In this chapter you learned how to: • Understand logical process modeling via data flow diagrams (DFDs). • Draw data flow diagrams of well structured process models. • Decompose data flow diagrams into lower-level diagrams. © 2008 by Prentice Hall 48
Summary (Cont.) • Balance high-level and low-level data flow diagrams. • Explain differences between current physical, current logical, new physical, and new logical data flow diagrams. • Use data flow diagrams for analyzing information systems. © 2008 by Prentice Hall 49